Stress

Stress

The physiological and psychological response that a person experiences when confronted with a situation that is threatening or challenging.

Is stress a mental disorder?

Stress is not considered a mental order by itself.

Selye’s definition of Stress

Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change

Types of Stress Scientist

Selye 1936

Types of Stress (Selye 1936)

Selye states that stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but our bodies’ reaction to it can be. Our cognitive appraisal of experiences leads to different types of stress.

Types of stress

• Distress

• Eustress

Distress

Negative stress that results from being overwhelmed by demands, losses or perceived threats. Caused by negative cognitive appraisals. Negatively affects you, taking away energy.

Eustress

Positive stress that results from challenging but attainable and enjoyable worthwhile tasks. Caused by positive cognitive appraisals. Has a positive effect on you, giving you energy.

Stressors

Stimuli that place demands on a person, requiring them to adapt their behaviour in some way. May even threaten our well being and physical safety.

Stressors can vary by…

Types and Characteristics

Types of stressors

• Environmental Stressors

• Psychological Stressors

• Social Stressors

• Cultural Stressors

Environmental Stressors

Aspects of our surroundings that induces stress in our lives

Examples of Environmental stressors

Noise, temperatures, natural disaster, school work, exam room etc.

Psychological Stressors

Aspects of our mental state that induce stress in our lives

Examples of Psychological Stressors

Unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, low self esteem, phobias

Social Stressors

Aspects of our relationships with others that increase stress in our lives

Examples of Social Stressors

Familial problems, relationship troubles, social isolation, interpersonal conflict

Cultural Stressors

Aspects of our family background and beliefs that increase stress in our lives.

Examples of Cultural Stressors

Pressures to conform, discrimination, prejudice

Characteristics of Stressors

• Nature

• Duration

• Strength

Nature

Whether the stress has a positive or negative effect on our body based on our perception. The nature of a stressor could be positive or negative.

Duration

The length of time the stressor affects a person. A stressor can be over quickly or can act on you for a long time.

Strength

The impact a stressor has on a person. Low levels of stress may not illicit any response to current situations, too much may lead to a meltdown. Your body needs just the right amount of stress to perform optimally.

Health Related Consequences of Stress

Stress causes a variety of health effects within the body. It can lead to physical symptoms, both long and short term.

Short term Health Effects of Stress

• Higher heart rate/ breathing rate

• Increased muscle tone

• Digestive issues

• Anxious

Long term Health Effects of Stress

• Increased chance of heart attack and stroke

• Increased risk of type 2 diabetes

• Mental health problems

• Fertility issues. Sexual dysfunction

Types of coping strategies

• Maladaptive coping strategies

• Adaptive coping strategies

Maladaptive coping strategies

Methods a person uses to reduce their stress or anxiety but in an ineffective, unhealthy way. Eg. Procrastination, masking, gambling etc.

Adaptive coping strategies

Methods used to reduce stress that have positive effects on a person’s health and help build emotional resiliency. Eg. Exercise, meditation, venting, sleep etc.

Scientist behind the General Adaptation Syndrome model

Selye (1936/1983)

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) Model

Describes how our body automatically responds to stress over time in a predictable way.

Selye’s Findings with the GAS model

Regardless of the type of stress on the body, we often experience similar long+short term effects. Our body goes through a number of physiological changes when stressed.

Three stages of the GAS model

• Alarm

• Resistance

• Exhaustion

Alarm

When we first perceive a stressor, our body falls into a state of ‘shock’ where we momentarily feel helpless, weakened, or overwhelmed

Effects of the alarm stage

Body temp and blood pressure drops. Muscles lose tone. Ability to cope w/ stress is reduced. Body rebounds and enters a counter shock state where the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, releases cortisol and adrenaline, increasing breathing and heart rate.

Resistance

Physiological changes stay above average, but at a lowered level than the alarm stage. Increased levels of cortisol, maintain resistance to stressor, but suppress immune system. Body is susceptible to duress and other stressors due to resources used to maintain resistance.

Exhaustion

The body’s resources are drained, cortisol levels depleted. Experience fatigue and susceptible to physical illness and mental health disorders.

Strengths of General Adaptation Syndrome Model

• Was the 1st model to highlight the major impacts o n the immune system

• Heavily supported by decades of research + empirical evidence

• Identifies the biological processes involved in stress

Limitations of the General Adaptation Syndrome Model

• Too much emphasis on biology of stress response - no psychological factors

• Fails to acknowledge the unique factor of an individual that would impact their response to stress

• Researched predominantly on animals so can’t be generalised

• Specific stressors activate specific response (in new research), so likely isn’t ’non-specific’

Scientists behind the Social Readjustment Rating Scale

Holmes and Rahe (1967)

Year of the Social Readjustment Rating scale

1967

Social Readjustment Rating Scale

A rating scale designed to identify major stressful life events that in individual experienced in the last year. Based on the premise that the event induce stress due to the significant adjustments they require.

Making the social readjustment Rating Scale

Holmes + Rahe compiled a list of 43 stressful things In life. Each event was awarded a life change unit depending on how traumatic it is to a large sample of participants. Participants tick the events that occurred to them in last year. The score provides the likelihood of a major health breakdown in the next 2 years.

Social Readjustment Rating Scale score indicators

• Over 300 means 80% chance of stress-related mental breakdown

• 150-299 means 50% chance

• Less than 150 means 30% chance

Strengths of Social Readjustment Rating Scale

• Simple, effective tool for measuring effects of stress on an individual’s health.

• Supported empirically

Limitations of Social Readjustment Rating Scale

• Individual differences in stress aren’t considered

• Scale doesn’t consider common stressors that occur daily

• Not objective - participants may lie

Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping Scientists

Lazurus and Folkman (1984)

Year of Transactional theory of stress and coping

1984

Transactional Theory of Stress and COping

Stress is an encounter between an individual and their environment. Results when perceived demands of a situation outweighs a person’s ability to cope with it.

Difference between GAS model and TTSC

TTSC suggests an individual’s stress response is a result of their individual subjective cognitive appraisals of the stressor and their ability to cope with its demands

Cognitive appraisal

An individual’s perception of a stimulus

2 types of appraisals

• primary appraisals

• Secondary Appraisals

Primary appraisal

Individuals evaluate of judge the significance of a stimulus. They decide whether the stimulus is relevant and whether it will benefit or harm them (Irrelevant, benign-positive, stressful)

Secondary Appraisals

where we evaluate our coping options and resources - what can be done about it. Individuals may have Adequate resources to cope (personal strats etc) or inadequate resources to cope (leads to distress)

Problem-focused coping

Used when we feel we have control of a situation and can manage/ change the situation directly

Emotions-focused coping

Used the change our emotional state when we feel we have little control over the situation

Strengths of the transactional Theory of stress and coping

• Accounts for individual differences in stress responses

• Built off of human participants

• Considers the cognitive component required for stress appraisals

Limitations of the Transactional theory of Stress and coping

• Difficult/ unethical to measure experimentally, no empirical evidence

• Primary and secondary appraisals influence each other and occur simultaneously

• Overemphasises appraisal as an active process - in reality we are just as stressed without the thought

• Overlooks physiological responses